Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. E. CUNNINGHAM.

CAR COUPLING.

No. 605,287. PatentedJune 7, 1898.

.l-ATENT F F 6 JAMES E. CUNNINGHAM, OF I/VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart Of Letters Patent No. 605,287, dated June '7, 1898.

7 Application filed November 24, 1897- Serial No. 659,667. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JAMES E. CUNNINGHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car-Couplin gs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a link-and-pin-coupling device for coupling together cars or 1000- motives; and the especial object of my invention is to provide strong, simple, and eificient means for supporting and automatically releasing the coupling-pin to permit the cars or locomotives to be automatically connected together.

A further object of my invention is to provide connections for operating the couplingpin either from the top or side of the car and for locking the coupling-pin in a raised position when desired.

To these ends my invention consists of the parts and combinations of parts, as hereinafter deseribed,and more particularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating coupling devices constructed according to my invention applied'to an ordinary box-car. Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view showing the couplingpin in its raised position. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the coupling-pin dropped down into engagement with its link, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the means which I preferably employ for supporting and automatically releasing the coupling-pin.

A car-coupling device constructed according to my invention comprises a draw-head of substantially the ordinary construction, a-

slide for cutting off the coupling-pin socket and holding a coupling-pin in a raised position, and a weighted lever for normally re-' tracting the slide, the tailpiece of said lever being located in position to be engaged by the coupling-link.

Referring to the drawings and in detail, 10 designates'the draw-head, which may be 0011- nected to the car in any of the ordinary manners and which is provided with a flaring mouthpiece 11, having inclined surfaces for guidingthe coupling-link L properly into its position in the draw-head. Mounted upon the :upper surface of the draw-head 10 or The tailpiece the cars are brought together the couplinglink L will turn the weighted'lever 16, pushing the slide 14 forward until a perforation 15 therein registers with the coupling-pin socket 13. This will release the coupling-pin, so that the same will drop by gravity to its coupled position, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

The connections which I employ for operating the coupling-pin from the top or side of the car may be of any of the ordinary or approved constructions. As illustrated, the coupling-pin P is connected to a lifting-link 18 by means of a pin -and-slot connection. The

lifting-link 18 is enlarged at its upper end and extends through a support having a locking-notch 19. When the coupling-pin P is raised by the lifting-link 18, it may then be locked in its raised position by pushing the reduced portion of the lifting-link 18 into engagement with the notch 19.

To operate the coupling-pin P from the side of g the car, I preferably provide a rock-shaft 20, which is pivotally connected to the coupan operating-handle 21. Near its outer end the rock-shaft 20 is provided with a flattened section which when the rock-shaft is turned to lift the coupling-pin can then be pushed into engagement with a locking-notch 22 to lock the coupling-pin P in its elevated position.

In order to prevent the coupling-pin P from being lifted so high as to disengage the same ling-pin and is provided at its outer end with from its guide 12, the rock-shaft 20 may be provided with an arm 23 forengaging a stoppiece on the side of the car.

I am awa 'e that changes may be made in the construction of my car-coupling by those who are skilled in the art without departing IOI) from the scope of my invention as expressed in the claims. I do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the particular forms which I have I shown and described; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

, 1. In a coupling device for cars, the combination of a draw-head 10 having a socket for a coupling-link, a guide 12 for a coupling-pin extending up from the upper surface of the draw-head 10, a perforated slide 14 on the upper surface of the draw-head 10, and an operating-lever 16 pivoted in the draw-head above the coupling-link socket, and having a tailpiece 17 normally tending to retract the slide 14, and located in position to be engaged by a coupling-link to move the slide in the opposite direction from that traversed by the coupling-link so as to release the couplingpin, substantially as described.

2. In a coupling device for cars, the combi nation of a draw-head 10 having a flaring mouth 11 and a socket for a coupling-link, a

guide 12 extending up from the upper surface of the draw-head 10 for supporting and directing a coupling-pin,a perforated slide 14 mounted on the upper surface of the draw-head 10, a lever16 pivotally mounted in the drawhead 10, and having a tailpiece 17 normally extending down below the pivot of the lever 16 in position to be engaged by the couplinglink to force the slide forward in the opposite direction from that traversed by the couplinglink, a lifting-link 18 for raising the couplingpin from the top of the car, a rock-shaft 20 ,for lifting the coupling-pin from the side of 

